Sand

[bouncer36]

Ok so I bought sand today for my dragon. Do have to bake? Or can I run it under hot water and strain it

 

[MattRVN]

What sort of sand, or substrate is it?

 

[bouncer36]

Quiktete premium playsand I know I have to strainer it but do I have to wash and bake it?

 

[bouncer36]

I need answer to this. I want to change right now if anyone.e can my question please

 

[Germ]

The Playsand would be previously washed (Not sterilized) at the plant, I have never re-washed mine, nor have I ever baked it, although rinsing through hot water would remove some of the finer dust particles, then you would have to bake it to dry it out some. I put it into the enclosure damp out of the bag, so it cakes the way I landscaped it when it dries, helps to keep the dust down & also helps to keep its shape when they are tunneling. Some keepers do bake their's as an added precaution, I never have. I strain it right out of the bag into the enclosure.

 

[bouncer36]

Thank you

 

[Pat B]

So Bea....did you get your beardie on sand? How does he like it?? Spike took a little while to get used to it but so far so good!!

 

[bouncer36]

Yea I just now put it in he was sleeping so he doesn't even know it yet just put enough to cover the bottom of the tank until Tuesday so I can put some more in unless you it has enough.
If it works out for him I will put scarlett on it too. Let me know if I need to put more in it

 

[bouncer36]

Is it deep enough?

 

[Germ]

I personally like to have more in mine, generally keeping it deeper towards the back side &\or one corner (generally the cooler side) landscaped to give them some depth to dig around in. Mine generally vary in depth from 1.5"-6" throughout the enclosures, allowing enough depth to scoop the poop.

 

[bouncer36]

Add more Tuesday. I got a fifty pound bag do you I should put the whole thing in or half

 

[Germ]

That is entirely up to you & how you want to landscape it.

 

[bouncer36]

Thanks have a good night. (It night here)

 

[bouncer36]

Add more still have some more to put in

 

[Germ]

That looks good, but again, it is entirely up to you if you want to add what you have left. There really would be no 'Too Deep', unless of course, a person went overboard & filled the enclosure half full or more or something ridiculous like that. 1.5"-6" even 8" is fine in areas. I have often used more sand to raise the basking spot a bit to achieve the required higher temps by bringing it closer to the bulb. If I have a female that is going to lay, whether fertile or not, when she starts showing the signs, I dampen the majority of the existing enclosure sand, then pile & pack it mostly into one corner or side, giving it an area to tunnel & lay the eggs. Then remove the eggs & re-spread\re-landscape the sand back to normal.

Mine like to dig, so I keep areas a little deeper to allow them to do so, here are some pics of the tunnels that Hoodwink & Falkor have recently dug ...

Falkor

Hoodwink

A vid of Arrow digging (I know it's long, but ... It was a long dig ) showing what happens when the sand is too shallow . Wearing his sand hat at about 4:03.

 

[Josh]

Love those little burrows! They look so close to the natural habitat. Nicely done, Germ

 

[Pat B]

I put a 50 lb bag in my 40 gal breeder tank....I have another bag and think I will add some of that.....50 lbs seems pretty skimpy to me but Spike likes it!!

 

[bouncer36]

I have little bit of sand left to put in when I get that in it is 50 pound bag I had to back it. The last of got bake is sitting on my stove will put rest in tomorrow.

 

[bouncer36]

Ok all done put in the whole 50pound bag in tell me how does it look?

 

[Germ]

Substrate looks great